Even More Reason Not To Use Your Mobile While Driving

We all know that there are stiff penalties when it comes to using your mobile phone while driving, and now there's even more incentive to keep your hand off it.

It's been announced that from Monday 17 September drivers in New South Wales will cop the toughest demerit point penalties in the country.

You will now lose a FURTHER demerit point if you get caught with an increase from four to five demerit points.

And during holiday periods it's even higher again, with the offence attracting 10 demerit points, up from 8 points.

The fine remains the same at the moment with drivers having to cough up $337, or $448 if they are busted using a mobile in a school zone.

Despite a high awareness of how dangerous it is to use your phone while driving, last financial year over 40,000 people were fined, and it's been revealed that between 2012 and 2017, there were 175 crashes involving mobile phones resulting in nine deaths and 50 serious injuries.

Centre for Road Safety Executive Director Bernard Carlon said:

“At 60km/h, a car travels 33 metres in two seconds, at 100km/h it travels 55 metres. Take your eyes off the road for a few seconds and you continue to travel, virtually blind.

“Such a short lapse of concentration can have significant and devastating consequences and from 2012 to 2017, nine people lost their lives and 50 people were seriously injured because someone was using a mobile phone while driving.”